25.12.03.Today News : Korean athlete assaults Chinese athlete over ‘smoking issue’ at international competition

Clash at East Asian Finswimming Championships: Korean High School Athlete Assaults Chinese Competitor over Smoking Dispute

📍Locker-room smoking argument escalates into physical assault; Chinese athlete hospitalized and criticism rises over lax team management

A violent altercation occurred at the East Asian Finswimming Championships held last month in Zhanjiang, China, when a Korean high school athlete assaulted a Chinese competitor who was smoking inside the locker room. The Chinese athlete was taken to the hospital for examination, and although both sides reached an agreement the following day, criticism continues to grow over poor supervision and insufficient preventive education.

Last month at the East Asian Finswimming Championships held in Zhanjiang, China, an altercation occurred when a South Korean high school athlete confronted a Chinese athlete who was smoking in the locker room, leading to an assault.

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🔹 Assault Inside the Locker Room During International Event
The incident occurred on November 28 at the Zhanjiang Olympic Swimming Pool during the East Asian Finswimming Championships. A Chinese athlete was smoking inside the locker room when Korean high school athlete A approached and told him to stop.
What began as a warning soon escalated into a heated argument, during which A grabbed the Chinese athlete by the neck and assaulted him. The Chinese athlete reportedly experienced difficulty breathing and was taken to a hospital for an MRI scan.

🔹 Officials Acknowledge the Incident; Families Reach Settlement
Officials from the Korea Underwater & Finswimming Association, as well as on-site coaches, acknowledged that the assault took place. According to their account, A’s parents traveled to China the following day, where they met with the victim and reached an amicable settlement.
A has since returned to South Korea.

🔹 Criticism Over Poor Management and Lack of Preventive Education
The incident has sparked public criticism toward the association’s inadequate athlete management. The competition was initially planned as the Asian Championships but was later changed to the East Asian Championships, and instead of sending official national team members, the association recruited athletes who wished to participate and required them to pay about 2 million KRW each.
In this process, no formal violence-prevention training, code-of-conduct briefings, or safety guidance—normally provided to national team athletes—were conducted.
Furthermore, only two coaches and two staff members were responsible for supervising a total of 23 athletes.

🔹 Incident Occurred in Locker Room Without Any Supervisors Present
At the time of the incident, no coach or staff member was present in the locker room, allowing the situation to escalate unchecked. Coaches were supervising practice in the pool area and only rushed to the locker room after the assault had already occurred.

🔹 Association Considering Disciplinary Action Against A
Although a settlement has been reached, disciplinary measures are still being considered. The Korea Finswimming Association has stated that it is reviewing disciplinary actions against A for the assault, and a formal process is expected to follow.

One-line summary : A Korean high school finswimming athlete assaulted a Chinese competitor during a smoking dispute at an international event, leading to hospitalization and criticism over inadequate supervision.